-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Music manager Allen Klein , whose clients included the Rolling Stones and the Beatles , died Saturday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer 's disease , his publicist said . Klein was 77 .

The son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary , Klein founded his firm Allen Klein & Co. in the late 1950s before the label evolved into ABKCO Music & Records in New York . The independent label holds the copyrights to music by the Rolling Stones , Sam Cooke , the Animals , the Kinks , Chubby Checker , Bobby Womack and hundreds of others .

Klein represented dozens of artists , including Sam Cooke , the Animals , Bobby Darin and Herman 's Hermits . He changed the music industry when he represented Sam Cooke in negotiations with RCA , winning the artist control of his own master recordings .

Known for a tenacious and often blunt style in negotiations , Klein 's greatest coups were inking contracts with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles , though both relationships ended in legal battles .

ABKCO built up a catalog of copyrights to more than 2,000 songs , including much of the Stones ' 1960s catalog . Klein retained ownership of those titles even after splitting with the Stones . In 1969 , John Lennon persuaded the other Beatles that Klein should take over the group 's business affairs , but Paul McCartney resisted the move and some music historians say the appointment hastened the Beatles ' split .

Lennon later fell out with Klein , who was thought to be the target of the former Beatle 's 1974 song `` Steel and Glass . ''

Defending his tough style , Klein told Playboy magazine in 1971 : `` The music business is about 99 percent no-talent losers who ca n't stand a winner in their midst . ''

In 1971 , Klein worked with George Harrison to organize the `` Concert for Bangladesh '' at Madison Square Garden , one of the first major benefit concerts of the rock era . Ringo Starr was among the all-stars who performed at the concert .

Late in his career , Klein agreed to license a sample of a Rolling Stones song to the British group the Verve for their hit single `` Bittersweet Symphony . '' But after the song was released , ABKCO successfully argued in court that the Verve had used too much of the sample and won 100 percent of the song 's royalties .

Klein is survived by his wife Betty , their three children and four grandchildren . Services will be held in New York on Tuesday .

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Allen Klein , who inked contracts for dozens of musicians , dies at age 77

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Klein 's company , ABKCO , built up catalog of copyrights to more than 2,000 songs

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Known for his tough negotiating style , many blame Klein for the Beatles ' break-up